University Suites is Dynamic Addition to Campus Lfe, City Landscape

WHAT: The UMass Lowell community, along with state and local leaders, will celebrate the opening of University Suites, a $54 million residence hall that is setting a new standard for student living. It is the sixth new building UMass Lowell has opened in the last year and the second, brand-new, suite-style residence hall opened for the fall semester, helping to answer student housing demand. Enrollment at UMass Lowell has grown 40 percent since 2007 and approximately 4,000 students live in university housing this fall.

The contemporary University Suites is home to 472 students and includes 88 four- and six-bed suites that feature living rooms and kitchenettes; eight common lounge areas with full kitchens; Wi-Fi and other technology throughout the building; a glass-fronted living room with a fireplace; the Hawk’s Nest Café, open to students and the public for grab-and-go meals during the day and Asian-fusion cuisine in the evening, along with Red Mango frozen yogurt and Starbucks coffee; quiet conference rooms and study areas; and a multi-purpose room that can accommodate groups as large as 126 people. Residents include students in the university’s Commonwealth Honors Program who are part of one of UMass Lowell’s living-learning communities, which enable students with similar interests and goals to live together to forge common bonds and participate in programming that builds on their educational experience.

University Suites is a striking addition to a neighborhood that includes the Campus Recreation Center, LeLacheur Park and other residence halls. Surveys of students have shown that more want to live on East Campus, which is within walking distance to the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell and the city’s vibrant downtown.